The title and opening track of the new Queen album is symbolic of the group's 20 years in the business. A dramatic drum roll gives way to a tired-sounding structure, then the song bounces between light opera and heavy metal. Moments of flash are tempered by stretches of sluggishness - and always with plenty of pomp.

Innuendo isn't likely to turn around Queen's decade-long downward spiral of popularity, but the album has a few semiprecious gems: Freddie Mercury singing a love song to his cat on Delilah, lead guitarist Brian May kicking in with unrestrained axing on the hard-hitting The Hitman and serving a brisk metal set on Headlong, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon jolting a spirit of abandon into Ride the Wild Wind.

But the remaining tracks are disappointing, and generally Innuendo is yet another misfire in the group's slumping output.